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Apologetics for the Masses #513 - A Protestant Magazine Asks: Will Pope Leo XIV Proclaim John 3:16? (Part 1)
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My Response to A Protestant Magazine Article That Asks: "Will Pope Leo XIV Proclaim John 3:16?"
General Comments
Just a reminder that all of the Bible Christian Society apologetics talks - 28 in English and 6 in Spanish - are now available on a single USB flash drive, in multiple formats - FLAC, M4A (AAC), and MP3 - and still lots of room to spare on the flash drive for your other files such as pictures, personal documents, and whatever else one might want to store on a flashdrive.
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Here is a description of the two different flash drives. (Note: we have limited quantities of the 16 gb flash drive, and once they're gone, they're gone.)
• 128 GB USB drive with both USB-A and USB-C ports. This drive is USB 3.0. $10.
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You can order them here: https://www.biblechristiansociety.com/products/complete_audio
Introduction
The Christian Post is described by Wikipedia as being a over 450,000 readers. And, a few days ago it
Below is that article, in its entirety, and then I repeat the article but with my comments interspersed amongst its paragraphs. I'll do part of the article in this issue, and the rest in the following issue.
As you read through the article the first time - before you look at my comments - see if you can discern the various problems with it, particularly as regards the underlying assumptions behind a number of the statements made in the article.
Challenge/Response/Strategy
The Christian Post
Will Pope Leo XIV Proclaim John 3:16?
Opinion by Dan Delzell
Let's face it. If a person gets John 3:16 wrong, he lacks the foundation that is necessary to follow Christ. If you jump right into "doings things for God" without first laying the proper foundation, all is for naught.
The New Testament clearly reveals the distinction between justification and sanctification. Justification is the foundation of the Christian faith and is complete at conversion. (see Galatians 2:16; Romans 5:1-2; Galatians 3:11-14; Romans 5:8-9) Sanctification, on the other hand, is the lifelong process of growing in spiritual maturity as a follower of Jesus Christ.
One thing I have noticed over the past 40 years is that some spiritual leaders in various religious groups attempt to redefine "faith" to mean the combination of belief and good works. The Apostle Paul addressed the deadly error of works righteousness in his epistle to the churches in Galatia.
Good works will always flow from faith in Christ, but good works are never meritorious toward one's salvation. In fact, "All who rely on observing the Law are under a curse" (Galatians 3:10). Christian faith equates to trusting Christ alone for salvation. If you blend justification and sanctification, you forfeit the Gospel.
No religious leader in the world can stand at a microphone and command more attention than the pope. Having said that, can you think of even one pope in your lifetime who clearly proclaimed and explained the Gospel? I heard Billy Graham proclaim and explain the Gospel dozens, if not hundreds, of times. And Franklin Graham seems to share the good news every time he speaks to the press. But what about the new pope (formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost)? Will Pope Leo XIV clearly and consistently proclaim and explain John 3:16?
In a 2023 interview, Cardinal Prevost was asked, "What fundamental trait would you say is necessary to be a good bishop?" He concluded his thoughts with this encouraging statement: "In just a few words: to help people come to know Christ through the gift of faith." Christians around the world rejoice with anyone who "comes to know Christ through the gift of faith."
Paul assured believers, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Thankfully, eternal life in Heaven is a free gift that is received by faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul followed up those two verses with this beautiful description of sanctification: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). In his 13 or 14 epistles, Paul was meticulous in fleshing out both justification and sanctification.
Imagine a home builder skipping the foundation and jumping straight into the construction of the house. This is essentially what happens when a religious leader attempts to redefine "faith" as a combination of belief and good works. It is no minor theological error, especially since it prevents people from being converted and justified.
Religious deeds do not convert souls. A single sin cannot be washed away by 10,000 good works. The blood of Jesus washes away sins when a person places their trust in Christ's death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Heaven (see Romans 5:9; 1 John 1:8-9). It will be critical for the new pope to consistently proclaim and explain the Gospel message. Hundreds of millions of Catholics desperately need to hear what the Bible teaches about the good news.
Just as "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26), religion without the Gospel is dead. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). And you cannot "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) unless you have already received the free gift of everlasting life in Heaven through faith in Christ alone.
Justification always precedes sanctification. And without the proper foundation, everything else comes crumbling down, no matter how zealous or religious a person may be. If good works could save man's soul, there would have been no reason for Jesus to suffer the agony of the crucifixion for our salvation. You see, "If righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing" (Galatians 2:21).
Pope Leo XIV can potentially reach many souls for Christ. But if, rather than consistently explaining the Gospel, the new pope merely promotes various religious rituals and practices, he will miss the unique opportunity he has been given.
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The Christian Post
Will Pope Leo XIV Proclaim John 3:16?
Opinion by Dan Delzell
Let's face it. If a person gets John 3:16 wrong, he lacks the foundation that is necessary to follow Christ. If you jump right into "doings things for God" without first laying the proper foundation, all is for naught.
My Comments
Well, Dan Delzell just condemned himself. Why? Because he gets John 3:16 wrong. And if you get John 3:16 wrong, by golly, you lack the foundation necessary to follow Christ. After all, he believes John 3:16 teaches the false dogma of Sola Fide - Salvation By Faith Alone. It does not. So, he stands condemned by his own words.
The real problem here, though, is how he so boldly asserts that if a person "gets John 3:16 wrong," then that person "lacks the foundation that is necessary to follow Christ". Who is he to make this apparently infallible declaration? Is he the Pope? Does he have the authority over all Christians everywhere to make such a claim? Furthermore, where does the Bible say such a thing? It doesn't. This isn't the Word of God being proclaimed here, it's the Word of Dan.
The Christian Post- Dan Delzell
The New Testament clearly reveals the distinction between justification and sanctification. Justification is the foundation of the Christian faith and is complete at conversion. (see Galatians 2:16; Romans 5:1-2; Galatians 3:11-14; Romans 5:8-9) Sanctification, on the other hand, is the lifelong process of growing in spiritual maturity as a follower of Jesus Christ.
My Comments
Even though he states that "The New Testament clearly reveals the distinction between justification and sanctification," he nowhere gives us a verse where this distinction is "clearly reveal[ed]". In none of the passages he cites in regard to justification does it say, "There is a clear distinction between justification and sanctification." And, as to what he says about sanctification, please note that there is not even a single passage cited to back up what he is saying. So, instead of giving us the Word of God on this matter, he gives us his fallible, non-authoritative, private interpretation of the Word of God - i.e., the Word of Dan.
Here's the thing, I actually agree with him that there is indeed a distinction between justification and sanctification. The problem is, though, that Dan gets the distinction between them wrong. He makes the distinction so stark, that, in his fallible interpretation of Scripture, the two essentially have nothing to do with one another. For Dan, justification - salvation - happens at one's conversion. Sanctification has nothing to do with justification. Sanctification only comes after you've been saved, or justified. So, you first get justified (saved), and then you become sanctified (holy) during the "lifelong process of growing in spiritual maturity".
Well, just a few problems with that, at least, according to the Bible. First of all, according to Dan Delzell's theology...Sola Fide theology...a person can be saved even if they are not made holy. Again, Sola Fide theology says sanctification has nothing to do with justification - they are completely separate. Salvation/justification comes first, then, after you're saved, you work on holiness/sanctification. Yet, in Hebrews 12:14, the Word of God says this: "Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." The Bible...the Word of God...says that unless you are holy, you will not see the Lord. I.e., you won't be saved. The Word of Dan says, essentially, "You don't have to be holy to be saved, that comes later." No connection between justification and sanctification.
The Word of God, however, says otherwise: "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justifed in the name of the Lord Jeus Christ and in the Spirit of our God," (1 Cor 6:11). Through being "washed" - (Huh, I wonder what that could be referring to) - you were sanctified and justified. Hmmm. Furthermore, Romans 6:22 says the following: "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life." Being saved - receiving eternal life - is said, by Paul, to be the "end," or the result, of sanctification. Justification/salvation is the result of sanctification. The Bible is telling us that being saved is the result of being made holy.
Also, the Word of God says, in 2 Cor 5:17, "Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come." Well, if sanctification comes after justification, and not with it, then exactly how is it that someone who has been saved...someone who has accepted Jesus into their heart as their personal Lord and Savior...has become a "new creation" if they are not somehow sanctified through the process of being justified?
This complete separation between justification/salvation and sanctification/holiness is not scriptural. And it leads to some rather strange implications for Sola Fide theology, such as: A person is not a "new creation" in Christ when they are justified/saved, because that would mean something good had happened in their soul. Something in their soul had been made holy...sanctified. I mean, how could they be a "new" creation if no sanctification whatsoever takes place at the moment of their justification? If no holiness is infused into their soul? In what way can it be said you are a new creation if your soul is not changed...not sanctified...at the moment of your salvation? But, Sola Fide theology says sanctification comes after justification. So, I guess, you become a new creation in Christ at some point after you've been saved, right?
Another implication of this complete separation between justification and sanctification is that Hebrews 12:14 is wrong. It turns out you don't have to be holy, or sanctified, to see the Lord, you just need to be justified. Yeah, once you're justified, you can start working on becoming sanctified, but that has, according to Dan's Sola Fide theology, absolutely nothing to do with being able to see the Lord.
We also need to change 1 Cor 6:11 to read as follows: "But you were washed - you were not sanctified - you were justifed in the name of the Lord Jeus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. You can get sanctified later." Do you see how Protestant theology has a tendency to turn Scripture on its ear?
The Christian Post- Dan Delzell
One thing I have noticed over the past 40 years is that some spiritual leaders in various religious groups attempt to redefine "faith" to mean the combination of belief and good works. The Apostle Paul addressed the deadly error of works righteousness in his epistle to the churches in Galatia.
Good works will always flow from faith in Christ, but good works are never meritorious toward one's salvation. In fact, "All who rely on observing the Law are under a curse" (Galatians 3:10). Christian faith equates to trusting Christ alone for salvation. If you blend justification and sanctification, you forfeit the Gospel.
My Comments
"Good works will always flow from faith in Christ." Where, exactly, does the Bible say that?! I have heard that probably a thousand times or more from Protestants in the last 27 years or so, but I have yet to have one of them give me the Bible verse that says that. If that were true, then why is Paul jumping all over Christians - those with faith in Christ - in his epistles? Why is he talking to them so much about sin and the consequences of sin and so on if good works "always flow from faith in Christ"? And why does Jesus get onto the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 for their lack of good works, for their falling away from the works they had been doing when they first believed, and so on, if "good works will always flow from faith in Christ"? The Bible does not say that, either directly or indirectly.
"Good works are never meritorious toward one's salvation." And, where, exactly, does the Bible say that? Oh, it must be Rom 2:6-7, which says, "For He [God] will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing [good works] seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give eternal life." No, that's not it. Maybe it's Matt 5:10? "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” No, that's not it. How about 1 Cor 3:14? “If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.” Darn! Matt 25:14-30…the two good servants increase what their Master has given them, and they merit a reward for it. What was the reward? To enter into the joy of their Master...i.e., salvation. The bad servant does not increase what the Master has given them, and he is cast into the outer darkness...damnation. Matt 25:31-46, those who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited the sick and imprisoned merited what? Eternal life (v. 46). Uhmm...makes me kinda wonder if Dan has actually read much of Scripture.
Now, I am not trying to push a "works salvation" here. All you Catholics who are fully in tune with Catholic teaching know that our works do not save us; however, our works can indeed keep us from losing our salvation. Our good works help us to increase in holiness, which helps us to avoid sin. Our bad works - sins - can separate us from God and cause us to lose our salvation. So, works do not save us, but they do indeed play a role in our salvation.
A few more verses: Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward." What is the "inheritance" of a Christian? Eternal life. Hebrews 10:35-36, “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised.” What is it that is promised? Eternal life. Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” What is the reward? Eternal life.
""All who rely on observing the Law are under a curse" (Galatians 3:10)." What mistake is he making here? He is conflating "good works" with "works of the Law". The "works of the Law" are not the same thing as "good works". "Observing the Law" is not the same thing as "doing good works". That's the kind of mistake that someone who is not very well versed in Scripture would make; or the mistake of someone who has an agenda to push against the Catholic Church and is stretching to find verses which they can use to further that agenda.
Jesus Himself says to "labor" for the food which leads to eternal life (John 6:27). Is laboring for the food which leads to eternal life not a good work? Is that "observing the Law?" Is that part of the "works of the Law"? Why would Jesus tell us to "labor" for this food that leads to eternal life if no "labor" that we do has any impact on our salvation?! It makes no sense!
"If you blend justification and sanctification, you forfeit the Gospel." So, if you "blend" justification and sanctification...kinda like the Word of God does...then you forfeit the Gospel? Really?! Again, with the infallible pronouncements of Pope Dan. By what authority does he make such a bold statement? Where in the Bible...since he goes by the Bible alone...does it make such a pronouncement? It doesn't. As I've shown above, particularly with 1 Cor 6:11, the Word of Dan is distorting the Word of God.
The Christian Post- Dan Delzell
No religious leader in the world can stand at a microphone and command more attention than the pope. Having said that, can you think of even one pope in your lifetime who clearly proclaimed and explained the Gospel? I heard Billy Graham proclaim and explain the Gospel dozens, if not hundreds, of times. And Franklin Graham seems to share the good news every time he speaks to the press. But what about the new pope (formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost)? Will Pope Leo XIV clearly and consistently proclaim and explain John 3:16?
My Comments
My question for Dan, were I to have the opportunity to ask him a question, is how many times did Jesus "clearly and consistently proclaim and explain John 3:16"? I didn't read anywhere in the Gospels where Jesus said, "Yo, guys, gather round. Let me clearly explain what it means that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." I did read, however, where Jesus, when directly asked, "What good deed must I do to have eternal life?" answered by saying, "If you would enter life, keep the Commandments." I don't recall Jesus saying, "Good deed? What good deed? You don't need to do any good deeds to have eternal life. Foolish fellow! Just accept Me into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior and you will have eternal life."
Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, and countless thousands upon thousands of other religious leaders led, and are leading, their flocks astray by selling them a bill of goods - Sola Fide and Sola Scriptura and Once Saved Always Saved and the Rapture and so on. Will Pope Leo XIV clearly and consistently proclaim and exclaim John 3:16? Really?! Who is Dan Delzell to ask such a question? Will Dan Delzell clearly and consistently proclaim and explain John 3:16? He isn't doing so now. How about John 6:51-58? Will Dan Delzell clearly and consistently proclaim and explain John 20:21-23? Rom 2:6-7? John 3:3-5? Titus 3:4-7? James 2:24? Matt 25:31-46? 1 Cor 13:2? Gal 5:1-6? 2 Thess 2:15? 1 Tim 3:15? And many, many more Scripture passages that his fallible interpretations have absolutely butchered?
He won't as long as he is stuck in his Sola Fide/Sola Scriptura world of false dogma. Know the truth, Dan, and the truth will set you free!
{I'll finish up with this in the next issue...}
Closing Comments
I hope all of you have a safe and happy - and relaxing - Memorial Day weekend. And remember to pray for all those who have died in the service of our country.
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